Community pulls for injured hockey player

Jan. 17, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Daniel Rejtharek, whose son Kainan Rejtharek suffered major injuries in a dirt bike accident last month, gets a hug from Marissa Lucido. Lucido plays on the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team with Rejtharek. The team played its first game without Kainan on Tuesday. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Kainan Rejtharek is shown at Laguna Hills High School 2012 homecoming. He remains in a coma at a Palm Springs hospital after a dirt bike accident left him with several broken bones, a severed aorta and bleeding on the brain. PHOTO COURTESY OF REJTHAREK FAMILY

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Kainan Rejtharek is an avid dirt bike rider. On Dec. 29, he fell 40 feet off a cliff while riding his dirt bike on a family vacation in Ocotillo Wells. PHOTO COURTESY OF REJTHAREK FAMILY

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Daniel Rejtharek wears the white jersey of the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team as he watches the team play Tuesday. Rejtharek's son Kainan is on the team, but he missed Tuesday's game because he was injured in a dirt bike accident that has left him in a coma. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team members huddle in the locker room before the start of their first game without their teammate Kainan Rejtharek, who was in a major dirt bike accident. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Nickie Fry, one of two girls on the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team, wears a specially made jersey along with the rest of the team with No. 7 on the sleeve for their teammate Kainan Rejtharek. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Coach Danny Alacali, left, of the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team takes his players out to the rink to play their first game without their teammate Kainan Rejtharek, who was hurt in a major dirt bike accident last month and is now in a coma. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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The Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team wears special jerseys with their teammate Kainan Rejtharek's name on the back and his No. 7 on their sleeves. They played their first game without Kainan on Tuesday at The Rinks in Irvine. The 17-year-old junior from Laguna Hills High was in a major dirt bike accident last month and remains in a coma. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Braden McPherson of the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team takes possession of the puck while playing Trabuco Hills on Tuesday. It was the Hawks' first game without Kainan Rejtharek, 17, who was in a a major dirt bike accident last month. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Marissa Lucido of the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team wears the jersey of Kainan Rejtharek during a game against Trabuco Hills on Tuesday. It was the Hawks' first game without Rejtharek, 17, who was hurt in a major dirt bike accident last month and is now in a coma. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Braden McPherson of the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team controls the puck as Jordan Napolitano of Trabuco Hills follows close behind. The game later ended in a 3-3 tie. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Marissa Lucido of the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team, center, wears the jersey of Kainan Rejtharek during a game against Trabuco Hills on Tuesday. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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The Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team wears special jerseys with their teammate Kainan Rejtharek's name on the back and his No. 7 on their sleeves. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Marissa Lucido of the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team wears the jersey of Kainan Rejtharek during a game against Trabuco Hills on Tuesday. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Nickie Fry, one of two girls on the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team waits for her turn to go out on the rink as their team plays their first game without teammate Kainan Rejtharek. Behind her are Hunter Holder and Evan Kosmos. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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The Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team gathers for a photo after playing their first game without their teammate Kainan Rejtharek. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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The Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team gathers for a team photo wearing special jerseys with their teammate Kainan Rejtharek's name on the back and his No. 7 on their sleeves. The 17-year-old junior from Laguna Hills High was in a major dirt bike accident last month and remains in a coma. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

Daniel Rejtharek, whose son Kainan Rejtharek suffered major injuries in a dirt bike accident last month, gets a hug from Marissa Lucido. Lucido plays on the Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey team with Rejtharek. The team played its first game without Kainan on Tuesday.STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

How to help

•Pizza Store & More, 25610 Alicia Parkway in Laguna Hills, will continue to set aside a portion of proceeds this month. Customers should mention they are there to support Kainan.

•Our Place, 24301 Muirlands Blvd., Suite Y, in Lake Forest is planning another fundraiser. Details will be posted on the Team Kainan Facebook page, facebook.com /teamkainan rejtharek, set up to keep people updated on his condition.

•A food drive has been set up to collect nonperishable food and items. Donations such as canned or packaged food, soda, water, coffee, snacks and candy are being sought. The family also can use gas gift cards, grocery gift cards, hospital cafeteria gift cards, restaurant gift cards or help with the $35-a-night cost of parking the camper in Palm Springs.

The 17-year-old Laguna Hills High School junior has been in a coma since Dec. 29, when he fell 40 feet off a cliff while riding his dirt bike during a family vacation in Ocotillo Wells.

Kainan's left side took the brunt of the fall. He broke his left cheek bone, eye socket, hip and femur in three spots. He broke his jaw and several ribs and dislocated his right elbow. His aorta was severed, requiring intensive open-heart surgery, and he suffered bleeding on his brain.

"I feel like I have died and gone to hell," his mother, Jill Rejtharek, said.

Doctors are uncertain when Kainan will come out of the coma or how much damage was done to his brain, though he began opening his eyes this week.

Since his accident, the community and his teammates on Laguna Hills Hawks Hockey have been fighting for him.

"I feel, I just know, he's going to come out fine," said his best friend and teammate, Marissa Lucido, who encouraged the skilled utility player to join the coed team in late August.

"It might take awhile, but he'll be fine," Lucido, 17, said. "We just need people to pray for him."

Monday's game was the team's first without Kainan. They played Mission Viejo's Trabuco Hills High School at the Irvine Roller Rink, tying 3-3.

The absence of Kainan's infectious laugh and playful nature was inescapable.

To honor Kainan, Hawks coach Danny Alacali made special jerseys with Kainan's name on the back and his number – 7 – on the sleeves.

"I just thought it'd be a really cool, loving way to pay tribute to Kainan," Alacali said. "It was our way of supporting him."

Kainan's dad, Daniel Rejtharek, attended the game.

He gave Kainan's jersey to Lucido to wear.

Since the accident, Jill Rejtharek has been staying in a camper at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where Kainan was airlifted after the accident.

At $65 a night, she could no longer afford to stay in one of the homes designated by the hospital for family members and instead began renting a spot for the camper at the medical center for $35 a night.

Kainan's dad and three sisters – Kassey, 25, Karina, 19, and Karli, 15 – visit on weekends. Kassey Rejtharek moved back to her family home after the accident to help her dad and sisters.

Meanwhile, local businesses and Kainan's school family are doing what they can to raise funds to help with his mounting medical expenses and his mother's housing costs.

The Pizza Store & More across the street from Laguna Hills High is setting aside 20 percent of its proceeds every time a customer mentions Kainan's name this month.

Owner Jeff Ghanei said he doesn't know Kainan or his family. He wanted to help when he heard about the accident from school parents.

"We have to help each other," Ghanei said. "Nobody knows what's going to happen to me tomorrow or to my family or to my kids."

Our Place, a Lake Forest restaurant, held a fundraiser over the weekend and gave a portion of its proceeds to the family, co-owner Sally Tarver said.

Tarver doesn't know Kainan or his family either, but when she and co-owner Tammy Clements heard about the accident from some regular customers and an employee, they had to help, she said.

Tears flowed down Jill Rejtharek's cheeks when she began speaking about the community support.

"I think it's been an absolute blessing," she said. "I don't know any of them, and they're doing this for my son."

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